


Below

by QueenHeadphones



Category: Neko no Ongaeshi | The Cat Returns
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/M, Pre-Relationship, kidnapping mention, tbh in this story Haru just said ‘get on this ship’ and baron went ‘free vacation hell yeah’, teeth mention, weapons mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenHeadphones/pseuds/QueenHeadphones
Summary: “The entire ecosystem has developed a sort of flora and fauna that can survive its harsh terrain. And we’re one of the few people who can see it.”Haru leaned against the cave’s wall and smiled. “Only you could find the romance in cave moss, Baron.”(Space Pirate!AU))
Relationships: Baron Humbert von Gikkingen/Yoshioka Haru
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	Below

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rowena_Bensel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowena_Bensel/gifts).
  * Inspired by [TCR BDB Days 1 & 2: Space & Pirates](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/544336) by Rowena Bensel/ro-visiting-the-bureau. 



“And you’re sure that it’s here?”

Haru jumped to the ground with an _umph_. “Wouldn’t doubt it. Flint’s map was vague, but the clues couldn’t lead anywhere else. When you know that...if you follow...uh…” She gave Baron a sheepish look. “I think I can explain it better if I had the map with me. Mind passing it over?”

“Happy to.” Behind her, she could hear Humbert - Baron to his friends and allies - testing the weight of the rocks before stepping on them. Haru was more than set to explore the planet on her own, but as always, he volunteered himself. Not that she minded - he had proven time and again to own a head that was cool under pressure, and skill with a cyber knife. _Not what I expected from someone in Fellene’s higher courts,_ she mused. _But I guess there are worse qualities to have in a traveling partner._

Upon landing on solid ground, he passed her the bag and waited. As she rifled through the satchel, she made a mental note of everything inside - some contraband, some not - until…

“Found it!” Triumphantly, she pulled out an unassuming, thin metal tube and immediately uncapped it. Turning it upside down, it poured out an equally unassuming piece of paper lined with diagrams and trails - Captain Flint’s map. 

Feeling the parchment between her hands gave her a thrill she couldn’t describe - most things these days were done on holographic technology or light projectors. Scrolls like the one she held would have been an unusual sight, even within Flint’s time. True, uploading it to a light projector might have kept it hidden better, but to Haru, it was the hallmark of one who preferred an adventure to that of a quiet, comfortable life, much like she considered herself to be.

As she spoke, she drew her finger across the parchment, indicating the locations, while Baron drew closer for a better look. “‘Travel past the home of the Seven Sisters - you said earlier that was what some called the Pleiades - to walk an endless path of sea and grass. Those who are brave enough to go below, stars set in stone shall lead you.’ The Pleiades are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere, which is where three of the Seven Galaxies are. Only two of those galaxies have planets with enough water and grass worth mentioning.”

“Then there's the part about Tartarus and the stars,” Baron replied.

Haru nodded. “I haven’t figured out the stars yet, but Tartarus is where they imprisoned the Titans. All that’s underground, right? Only one of the planets here has an underground at all, and it’s the one right beneath our feet.” She pointed intently at a thick, green splotch on the map. “XR-79. Swamp on top, caverns on the bottom. There’s nowhere else in the Seven Galaxies with a cave system like he described.”

“A fair point,” Baron conceded. “And if you believe this is the place, then I believe you as well. But this also happens to be one of the more active spots within the Seven Galaxies.” He started pacing the area slowly, as if searching for something. “And Flint was always known for his precautions when it came to his treasure. He may have put XR-79 on the map as a red herring, and expected the blind cave salamanders to take care of the rest.” 

Haru nodded. Baron wasn’t wrong - Captain Flint’s traps had tripped them up before, and they had the scars, spurs, and scratches to prove it. “Good point. But I don’t think we should find too much trouble on a dead mesoplanet. Besides, don’t tell me you’re afraid of a few blind cave salamanders?”

Baron shook his head. “Not afraid. Intrigued.”

Haru stared at him. “Intrigued to meet a giant, man-eating lizard.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of as long as you don’t wander into their territory.” As he spoke, he stared up at the cavern ceiling in fascination. “Besides, this is one of the most ecologically fascinating planets out here. A swamp planet that’s battered by storms for millions of years, hosting one of the largest and most diverse tunnel systems within our corner of the universe.” Slowly, he began to walk forward, taking time to survey the area in awe. “It’s home to some of the most exotic plant and animal species around. Walking lichens. Crystal trilobites. Bioluminescent moss. The entire ecosystem has developed a sort of flora and fauna that can survive its harsh terrain. And we’re one of the few people who can see it.” 

Haru leaned against the cave’s wall and smiled. “Only you could find the romance in cave moss, Baron.” Despite herself, she couldn’t help but be a little amazed. His excitement for learning was often infectious like that - a trait, Haru assumed, from his time as Fellene’s Royal Physician. He could tell any person of any one thing he had come across in his research - interstellar languages, cosmology, and even cave biology on XR-79 - and have them enthralled with him in minutes. Haru could feel the effect on her now - she was still in the same cavern, but Baron’s words had made it take on a whole new light to her. To the far left of her vision, a stone pillar - A stalagmite or stalactite, she could never keep it straight - rose from the ground, almost scraping the ceiling. Darting across the cave walls were glittering beetle like creatures with ridged shells - the crystal trilobites. Right above her, specks of light cut through the darkness with a faint blue glow, trailing all the way down the cavern’s ceiling. _Must be the moss that Baron was talking about_ , she thought. _Looks a lot like-_

_Wait._

“Baron,” She said slowly. “What was it exactly that Flint’s map said?”

“It said something to the effect of _‘Stars set in stone shall lead you-‘_ “ He paused, the force of his words taking effect. “Would you think-?”

“It _has_ to be! The planet, the cave, the spot that we’re on - it all matches what he wrote!” Taking care to mind the map, she let out an un-pirate-like squeal. “Baron, we did it! Just _wait_ ‘til Persephone hears of this! Once my old rival learns that we’re closer to the treasure-“ at this, Haru let out an excited cackle. “Oh, I wish I _could_ be there to see her face!” She turned to him and beamed. “Baron, we would have never gotten this far without your help. I’m _so_ glad we kidnapped you!”

He nodded formally. “I’m glad I agreed to be kidnapped. As well equipped as I was serving as Royal Physician to the Kingdom, it would never have enabled me to see the worlds and planets the way I’ve seen them with you and your crew.”

“I-uh…” _There he goes, getting all mushy again._ She could feel her face grow hot, in what she told herself was secondhand embarrassment. Turning away from Baron, she faced the cave again and cleared her throat. “A-anyways. We still need to figure out how to get the crew down here,” she said. “But not without finding out how far this cave goes or what lives in it. I don’t want to lose good pirates over bad forethought.”

“The moss might be a good measure,” Baron suggested. “It looks like it goes about six, seven thousand meters down?”

“That’s a good start. Flint’s map seemed to suggest it went farther,” Haru added. “But we’re not sure how long ago he added this portion to it.” Something slimy landed by her boot. She winced _-_ pirating was no task for the fainthearted, but there were some things that even she couldn’t abide. “Or how gross it gets.” She turned around and made her way to the rock wall, all too eager to leave now.” Let’s talk about it on the surfa-“

She smacked into Baron’s back with a level of force strong enough to make her bounce back from the impact. “Hey!”

Baron, for his part, stood unmoving, looking past the rock wall and to the entrance. “Change of plans,” he said calmly. 

“What are you _talking_ abou-“ Haru’s eyes followed his gaze to the entrance of the rock wall and froze. She couldn’t make out much in the dark, but it was hard to miss the rows of glittering teeth shining from what seemed like an endless maw. From its mouth, a thin line of spit flowed down, landing at Haru’s feet with a plop. 

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she shot a glance at Baron. “You _had_ to mention cave salamanders, didn’t you?” 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, Ro! I was your TCR secret Santa this year! (I even got it done on time -wheezes-). You asked for something based off of your Pirate AU that you wrote earlier this year, and I could not refuse. I mean, it’s pirates! Who wouldn’t enjoy writing something about pirates? I’m glad that I got a chance to write something like this, and I really hope that you like it!
> 
> (And for those of y’all who are wondering ‘what’s the tcr secret Santa and how can I get in on that?’, it's the holiday fic and art exchange that some of us in the TCR fandom hold every year. We’re always happy to have new people join in on the fun, so if you want to learn more about the secret Santa or other events we hold like the Birthday Bash and dnd nights, join our tcr discord server from this link: https://discord.gg/FEQkCXm )


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